Barfly
It seems so long ago this morning, since I purchased a book by her favorite poet, the late Charles Bukowski. Over the distance of at least three states, I've carried its title with me in my head: What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk Through The Fire. Even after all these years, I am amazed at how four months with someone can feel like an eternity. Her name was Julia, and we met at a bar quite like the one I have entered tonight.
Most of the surrounding counties are dry, but life on the road has cultivated my ability to find places where patrons imbibe deep into the night. Tomorrow is the third day of my current journey, and I have no idea where it will end. I don't even know the name of this town, but I feel as if I've been here many times before.
summer night —
the jukebox plays
what she always played
Collin Barber
Frogpond XXIX:3, autumn 2006
Photo credit: Paul Hopkins
Nice one, Collin. I like the way your haibun connects the Bukowski dots. Barfly not only establishes the haibun's setting, it is the title of the Bukowski film for which he penned the screenplay. http://www.thebuk.com/buk_barfly.html
ReplyDeleteI too have a haibun about a lost love, one whose memory filters through the haze of a bar.
bar fly
i was just a kid in those days and he was one of the bad boys the nuns warn you about and my old man told me stay far away from that one but i couldn't help myself and when i saw him he was walking up to me with his marlboros tucked under his tee-shirt like marlon brando with those biceps and his hair smelled of his last smoke and he kissed me one of those long kisses that just ooze out of you and shake up your insides at the same time but what did i know back then not enough
which is why he'll always be the one that got away
last call
a ceiling fan stirs
the tip jar
CHO June 2005, vol 1 no 1
Are there other haibun which describe a similar experience? I'd be interested in reading them.
oh, this is fun. . . Spending 34+ years, legally cruising bars at a night club, I probably have something floating around. The last one I wrote was about me looking to score, when it turns out, that a guy was trying to pick me up:
ReplyDeletesmiling
I remove his right hand
from my left knee
Well, you get the picture.
I really like this new feature, and it makes for great comments as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Collin for starting this, Curtis for introducing this feature, and interesting observations and comments from Roberta and Gene!
Alan
Roberta, so nice to see you picked up on the allusion to the Bukowski film! I was wondering if anyone would. And I love your "bar fly" haibun, thanks for posting it here. I'd be interested in reading haibun with similar experiences as well.
ReplyDeleteGene, for some reason, "smiling" made me smile. Classic.
Alan, yeah I like this feature as well . . . glad I could be the guinea pig. I think in the end Curtis will have a nice collection here. Btw, I didn't start this. The picture gave Curtis the idea. I didn't know he was going to post a poem with it, but it's a bonus that I look forward to reading from other poets.
It's interesting you selected this haibun, Curtis. It is the first one I ever wrote. I wonder if 'Julia' might stumble upon it . . . gosh I hope not.
Collin
good to see you start this off collin
ReplyDeletesticking to the bar theme...
full bladder
the long stagger
from the pub
col